Liverpool deal for £54m Richard Hughes favourite is too good to turn down

Richard Hughes completed a deal to sign Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth last summer.

The Premier League champions paid £40m for the Hungarian left-back - who has been installed as first-choice at Anfield. But the Vitality Stadium has been home to several other players reported to be on the Reds’ radar.

Links with Antoine Semenyo came and went with the Ghana international joining Manchester City in January. And midfielder Tyler Adams is now on the radar according to a new report.

There is another player who made his name at Bournemouth also on the Reds’ recruitment shortlist - although the club may have felt they lost their opportunity when he signed for Real Madrid last summer.

'Too soon' for Huijsen's Real Madrid move

Florentino Perez won the race for Dean Huijsen with the 15-time European champions triggering the Spaniard’s release clause.

The 20-year-old inked a deal until 2030 at the Bernabeu - widely expected to become Madrid’s defensive leader for the seasons ahead.

Only it’s not worked out like that.

Huijsen has been under severe scrutiny for his performances in the Spanish top flight and Champions League this season as he struggles to adjust with the step-up in quality.

Accordingly a report in the Spanish press claims Perez admits he made a mistake in signing Huijsen so soon into his professional career.

Liverpool could sign Huijsen as part of defensive rebuild

“Florentino Pérez is beginning to realize that the move may have been made too soon,” the report in Fichajes reads.

Madrid therefore are now willing to listen to offers for the Dutch-born defender in the summer. For a fee close to the €62.5m (£54m) that Madrid paid to Bournemouth last summer Huijsen could be on the market at the end of the 2025/26 season.

“Florentino Pérez would be willing to listen to offers if they reach a figure close to the €62.5 million the club paid for the defender,” the report continues.

That should bring Liverpool back to the table for a familiar face - with Arne Slot’s side in the midst of a centre-back rebuild.

We’ve seen Giovanni Leoni join for £26m while Jeremy Jacquet is expected to arrive on a £62m deal in summer. The signing of Huijsen ticks a lot of boxes for Liverpool - being a top, young centre-back who can reign for a decade or more.

With the Anfield club seeking to source options to replace long-serving defenders like Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and club captain Virgil van Dijk over the next year or two the opportunity to strike for Huijsen is too good to turn down.

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